The environmental The environmental problems in the worldproblems in the world

СontentСontent::

• Global deforestation

• Acid rains

• Extinction of species

• Ozone depletion

Global deforestationGlobal deforestationDeforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world's land area. The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.

Forests are cut down for many reasons. The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock.

Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests—which leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl.

Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. Seventy percent of Earth's land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that

destroys their homes.

Deforestation also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out.

Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.

The quickest solution to deforestation would be simply to stop cutting down trees. The cutting that does occur should be balanced by the planting of enough young trees to replace the older ones felled in any given forest.

Acid rainAcid rainAcid rain is rain consisting of water droplets that are unusually acidic because of atmospheric pollution - most notably the excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial processes. Acid rain is also called acid deposition because this term includes other forms of acidic precipitation such as snow.

Soil biology and chemistry can be seriously damaged by acid rain. Forests can be damaged by it. Acid rain does not directly affect human health,but it is in the rainwater and air which cause  heart and lung problems including asthma and bronchitis

Acid rain can also damage buildings and historic monuments and statues, especially those made of rocks, such as limestone and marble.  Acid rain also increases the corrosion rate of metals, in particular iron, steel, copper  and bronze.

Scientists are working to prevent industries from making acid rains. They used technical solutions and control emissions of oxides from motor vehicles. Special internation programmes had been carried out to control air pollution.

Extinction of speciesExtinction of species

Animals form an integral part of the nature's ecosystem. Deforestation and encroachment of lands have led to habitat loss for many animals. It is the most important reason for animal extinction.

Poaching and wildlife trade in animals and their body-parts have become a reason for extinction of many animals. Tiger bones and horns of rhinoceros are believed to possess healing properties. Elephants across the world are hunted for their ivory-tusks.

Heavy demand in fur-products led to the killing of animals on a large-scale for their pelts.

10 Species Near Extinction

Biomedical research has also promoted trade in animals. Climatic changes have immensely affected the living beings. Global warming caused due emission of greenhouse gases and depletion of ozone layer has threatened the existence of one and all.

Therefore, the endemic species of animals have become vulnerable to habitat loss caused by human factors.

Ozone depletionOzone depletionThe ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere containing relatively high concentrations of ozone. However, "relatively high," in the case of ozone, is still very small with regard to ordinary oxygen, and is less than ten parts per million. The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere from approximately 20 to 30 kilometres (12 to 19 mi) above Earth, though the thickness varies seasonally and geographically. The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson.

There are some natural means that effect ozone like volcano eruptions, and drastic changes in weather problems. Scientists have discovered a hole over the Antarctic and some mid-altitude regions over Chile in South America. People who live under these holes in the ozone and they have seen an increased number of skin cancer and blindness. They see a huge impact to the plants and animals in their surrounding environment.

Scientists believe that species on earth will have to adjust their UV-B composition in order to survive. At least humans can put on sunscreen to protect them from the UV-B rays. Animals don`t have this luxury. Plants will have a hard time surviving, unless there is drought conditions, then they won`t be able to survive at all. Plus the addition of UV-B rays will heat the earths surface which adds to global warming.

Made by:

Marta Yanishevska

and

Christina Stasyuk